Electro Harmonix produced the Operation Overlord (model OVERLORD-U) as a stereo overdrive and distortion pedal designed for use with a broad range of electronic instruments, including guitar, bass, and keyboards.

The unit offered two foot-switchable modes — Normal and Boost — covering distortion responses from mild to saturated. Normal mode employed three JFET gain stages to produce a tube amp-style response and tone characteristic. Boost mode introduced a classic pedal-type overdrive circuit placed before those JFET stages. A three-position switch allowed the player to select the appropriate input level for their instrument. Tone shaping was handled by active Treble, Mid, and Bass controls alongside a Dry blend control. The pedal was fully stereo-capable, fitted with left and right quarter-inch input and output jacks. Switching between modes was silent. The unit shipped with an EHX 9.6VDC-200mA power supply.

Owners sourcing replacement footswitches, jacks, or knobs, or requiring alignment of the gain stages, should consult a qualified guitar technician familiar with effects pedal service.